


A Certain Riddle of the Sphinx

by syllic



Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-22 23:13:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17069015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syllic/pseuds/syllic
Summary: They’d spent a millennium dancing around each other before they’d done this the first time, but as ridiculous as it sounded, it still felt new.





	A Certain Riddle of the Sphinx

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lady_ragnell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_ragnell/gifts).



  


Kalique took great pleasure in dropping by Titus’ ships unannounced, not least because she had an uncanny knack for timing her visits to moments when her brother was engaged in some singularly undignified activity. With one notable exception, no one on her brother’s staff ever dared stop her as she made her way to wherever he could be found, and she’d caught him doing everything from hemorrhaging funds at the virtual betting tables and weeping in rage to trying to find a way to disentangle himself from a malfunctioning pleasure node.

She had it on good authority that her brother had a reputation as something of a suave and sophisticated playboy, but nothing in millennia of watching him make a fool of himself could convince her of it.

As her transport docked and the airlock released, Kalique stepped lightly onto yet another of Titus’ gaudy pleasure barges and smirked in expectation of the future blackmail material she might acquire today.

She wandered from chamber to chamber, watching staff scurry out of her way, before eventually reaching what she assumed Titus thought passed for an office. Sheaves were scattered across an ostentatious desk, and a large antigrav orb was positioned against enormous windows looking out into space, no doubt to allow Titus maximum viewing pleasure during whatever activities took place in this room.

The view from the windows was currently of a small blue planet cocooned against the darkness of space, its single pale satellite barely visible next to it. Kalique couldn’t blame Titus; she had found herself equally drawn to Earth of late, curious about their mother’s recurrence and curious about the planet—curious in a way she had not been in centuries. As de facto primary of the house of Abrasax, she’d had to readapt to regular travel recently, and she was realizing just how comfortable she’d become, ensconced away in the alcazar on Cerise.

She was leaning against one edge of the desk and flipping through the sheaves that were visible, feigning disinterest by glancing out the window every so often but looking for any information that might prove useful, when a sharp voice came from behind her.

“Lady Kalique, welcome. I’m afraid we were not notified of your impending arrival; please forgive that there was no staff to greet you at the docking station. A terrible oversight.”

Kalique knew who it was before she turned her head. Her brother had only had one competent staff member for the last three millennia, and she never let Kalique drift around a ship for long before tracking her down.

“Famulus,” she said, smiling. “How lovely to see you.”

“I’m certain the pleasure is all mine, my lady.” Famulus glanced at where Kalique’s hand still rested in proximity to the sheaves on the desk. “I regret to inform you that Lord Titus has been temporarily called away on a business matter, and is not on board. Would you like me to facilitate a link?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, my dear. I was in this quadrant and simply wondered if I might chance upon Titus. I’ll return for a visit some other time. I wouldn’t want to distract Titus from his… business matter.”

She fought a smile as she watched a muscle in Famulus’ jaw twitch. Kalique suspected that her brother’s dissolute nature was a source of constant frustration for his assistant, who had clearly been behind the few shrewd moves that Titus had made on the market since she’d joined his staff. Kalique had more than half a mind to spirit her away to handle some of her own holdings, but it didn’t do to be too hasty. She knew better than to give the impression of being in direct competition with her siblings.

Her sibling, now. Balem would recur; the Abraxas line was too powerful, too old, too woven into the genetic fabric of the inhabited universe. But for now there was only her and Titus and dear, dear Jupiter, who had gladly acquiesced when Kalique had offered to help her manage her affairs. It was a strange feeling, finding herself the eldest, and though Kalique would never admit it it had brought out something of an unexpected protective streak in her.

“Is there anything I can assist you with in Lord Titus’ absence, my Lady?” Famulus asked.

Kalique allowed herself a more genuine smile, letting her eyes drift from Famulus’ lovely shoulders to the curve of her hips, wrapped exquisitely in a well-tailored skirt. She looked back at Famulus’ face and waited to see if she would lower her eyes; she was pleased when Famulus kept her chin up and her gaze challenging.

“Mmh,” Kalique said, finally. “Not today, I don’t think. Wonderful to see you, Famulus.”

She was almost at the corridor when a strange shape in the corner of the room caught her eye. She drifted over to a small golden table—it had been their mother’s, and Kalique suppressed another smile at her brother’s predictable sentimentality—and peered curiously at the octagonal shape that was resting on top.

It looked rather like a miniature portal: it was black and looked somehow _opaque_ , and when Kalique went to pick it up she discovered it was impossible—it was far too heavy to lift.

“My Lady,” said Famulus, hurrying over to Kalique. “I would be most grateful if you would refrain from interacting with this particular artifact. It is a recent acquisition of Lord Titus’, and I’m afraid we simply have not had the time to examine it with the care it requires.”

“Oh, come, Famulus,” said Kalique, tracing a finger over the object’s matte surface. “I can’t imagine you’d allow Titus to keep anything dangerous in his office. Not that he wouldn’t deserve it, but you’re far too conscientious an aide for that.”

She was intrigued by the tightness in Famulus’ voice; it suggested the artifact might be unusual in some way, and Kalique wanted to know more.

“As it happens, Lord Titus has not yet had a chance to examine this new holding with care either. We acquired it from the scrap traders on Feormixe; they claimed it had great value, and Lord Titus paid a large number of credits for it.”

Her tone revealed what she thought of that business decision.

“What is it?” asked Kalique, continuing to run her fingers over the surface. 

She couldn’t help herself; there was something delightful about setting Titus’ assistant on edge, and Kalique had never been able to resist the urge. Famulus was the most beautiful of live wires, always mindful of their respective stations when she spoke to Kalique in public, but never able to fully hide her emotions.

“I… I’m not entirely sure, but our scientists will be examining it later this afternoon. We scanned it when Lord Titus insisted we bring it onto the ship, but something about its material composition interfered with our readers.”

Kalique could tell it cost Famulus to admit her ignorance, and she smirked at her and said, “Well, no harm in us examining it first, surely?”

She stepped around to the other end of the table, prepared to use both hands to lift the object if she needed to.

“Lady Kalique, it really would be preferable if you didn’t—”

Famulus’ voice remained respectful, demure, but she stretched her arm out decisively and wrapped her long fingers around Kalique’s wrist. Kalique let her eyes drift to where their skin touched, and then looked up at Famulus, making a point to drag her eyes slowly up her body.

When their eyes met Kalique let a challenge show in her eyes: Famulus wavered for an instant but did not disappoint, and tightened her fingers around Kalique’s wrist.

“Come, then,” Kalique said, and Famulus stepped forward and touched their mouths together.

Kalique let herself luxuriate in it; she pulled her arm back toward her body and Famulus followed, opening her mouth against Kalique’s and letting their bodies touch from chest to thigh.

They’d spent a millennium dancing around each other before they’d done this the first time, but as ridiculous as it sounded, it still felt new. Kalique tried to reach her hand up to cup Famulus’ jaw, but Famulus tightened her grip warningly, and Kalique relaxed completely in response, letting her take the lead.

She let her walk them back toward the wall. A wave of Famulus’ arm activated a privacy screen at the entrance before she pressed her whole body against Kalique’s again, one slim-fingered hand still holding Kalique’s wrist against the wall.

She reached up with her other hand, pushing the thin fabric of Kalique’s dress over her shoulder and down. She did the same to the other side, and then stepped back to look. Kalique could feel her chest heaving with each breath, and Famulus raised one elegant eyebrow at her before bowing her head and kissing across the top of Kalique’s breasts. Her hand came up to cup one, and she brushed a thumb across the nipple. Kalique shuddered.

She was wondering whether she could truly bring herself to have sex in a room where her brother had undoubtedly done the same (it wasn’t a long deliberation; for this, she was willing to suffer more than that slight indignity) when a warning chime sounded from the door. In one smooth movement Famulus slid the straps of Kalique’s dress back up her shoulders, settling them in place and arranging the fabric with gentle fingers before she stepped back and waved in whoever it was at the door.

“Ma’am,” said a young man with the insignia of Titus’ crew embroidered on his sleeve, “The scientific team you requested is here.”

He bowed his head slightly as he spoke, not meeting her eyes, and as his gaze wandered he caught sight of who it was that was standing behind the woman he no doubt thought of as his real boss on the ship. 

He truly bowed then, whispering, “Lady Kalique,” before scurrying down the corridor.

Kalique laughed at how flustered he looked. She was sure he’d have a good story for his colleagues tonight.

“You run a tight ship,” she said. 

It wasn’t surprising at all, but Kalique rarely got to see this side of Famulus’ work.

“Well, somebody around here has to,” she replied, archly.

Kalique acknowledged the point with a slight nod.

“What is it that you think this thing is, anyway?” she asked, pointing at the artifact on the table.

She could tell by the way Famulus was standing that she was eager to get the object to the scientists who had arrived, and she was struck again by the unusual sight of Famulus looking unsure.

“Your brother,” she said, pausing deliberately, “Thinks it’s a time machine.”

“ _What_?” Kalique replied, not able to hold in a laugh.

Famulus shrugged expressively, letting what would have been an eye roll on anyone else’s face—but never on her ruthlessly diplomatic one—slide across her features.

“Well,” said Kalique, “It wouldn’t be the first time that someone tried to seek yet another way to extend the time they had.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Famulus answered. “I wasn’t with Titus when he was duped into buying it, but I’m not having it on this ship a moment longer without someone looking at it more closely. In my experience working for Titus, something doesn’t have to actually _work_ in order to explode.”

Kalique laughed again. “True in general, and I imagine particularly true around my hedonist of a brother. Well— I’ll leave you to it. I’d only come to chat with him and see if I could catch him at something embarrassing while I was at it. It’s no fun when it’s just his dangerously competent right hand making sure everything on the ship is operating as it should.”

Kalique smirked. “Not _no_ fun, I hope.”

“Less fun than if we hadn’t been distracted by my brother’s ‘time machine’, I’m sure. You’ll let me know, won’t you, if by some utterly improbable circumstance this thing is actually what he thinks it is?”

“You don’t strike me as the kind of woman who has regrets about the past,” said Famulus, letting her hand almost rest in the small of Kalique’s back as she walked her over to the door, a suggestion rather than a touch.

Kalique could feel the warmth of her palm against her skin, and she shivered—imperceptibly, she hoped.

“I’m not,” said Kalique. “Well, not any more than the average person.” She turned at the entrance to look into Famulus’ warm brown eyes. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to speeding the arrival of a future when you finally join my household. Your skills are wasted here. _You’re_ wasted here, my dear.”

She traced a finger over the soft edge of one of Famulus’ ears, taking pleasure both in the trembling breath that she drew in and in the slightly shocked expression on her face. 

Kalique smiled, and—knowing that walking away when one had the upper hand in the small battles was often all that was needed to ultimately win the war—she started to walk back toward her transport, turning her head and calling back, “Just think about it.”


End file.
